Carolyn N. Kraft, beloved daughter, mother and grandmother, and ardent Rolling Stones fan, died Dec. 26, 2019, at the age of 81 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Jan. 2, 1938, she spent her childhood in Newark Delaware. She loved to tell stories of being a “pretend” patient in the waiting room of her father, the late Dr. Edwin Hughes Nutter. Following in her father’s footsteps she graduated Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, majoring in biology and English.
Upon graduation, she worked at Chemical Abstract Services in Columbus, Ohio, while her husband, Andrew, attended veterinary school at The Ohio State University. The two returned east to raise their family in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Carolyn later began working at Merck Sharpe & Dohme Pharmaceuticals, which would provide the foundation for her professional career. She rose from a writer of medical abstracts to an executive in the marketing department of Merck, where she led the vision and promotion of many life-saving products.
Upon her retirement, Carolyn relocated to Sarasota, Florida, where she became an active supporter of the Sarasota Symphony and the Mote Marine Laboratory. She later moved to Centreville, Maryland as a way of returning to her roots.
She is survived by her sons, Hughes (Mary McVey) and Brian (Nicole); grandchildren Madeline, Heather, Oliver and Daniel; brother, Ted Nutter; nephews, Chris and Jamie (Anna) Nutter; and her longtime companion, Don Lackman. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edwin Hughes and Jane Nutter; and her ex-husband, Andrew.
The family will hold a private memorial service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Attn: Development Office, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236.
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